Thursday, March 11, 2010

What happens when textiles meet pop-culture?!? Excitement from this Ana!

This month Liberty of London one of my all time favorite textile houses is collaborating with MAC cosmetics, and Target. Which means that there will be floral prints exploding all over the place in my life, and it would not be liberty without some peacock feathers! Liberty is well known amongst textile junkies, so I already pre-sold my MAC and will be waiting on the 14th for Target to open its doors. It is always interesting when a line that is normally very high end pairs up with places like Target making it accessible to the general public. Can't wait to see what they made!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Just wanted to post some photos of the things that my class at the visual arts center is working on. These are samplers, which means that they are "experiments/explorations" of materials, not finished pieces. I will have to keep in mind how attached people become to samplers, because it was like pulling teeth to get them off the looms this week. We are working on frame looms, because it is a way to transport a tapestry, also a great way to learn on a small scale.
The class is about traditional weaving techniques, using un-conventional materials. Some of the things that they have been weaving include, plastic, paper, denim, legal paper, rocks! yep ROCKS! (had to create a new technique for getting this one in there), mesh bags, lace, and the list goes on. As with any class I am learning how to better teach this in the future, but am considering a part two to this class.

About Me

I think it began with the box of crayons and playdough I was given as a child. The colors and smell of it, had me hooked. Some of the first memories I have include "making" in one medium or another. Sometimes it was some stones and dirt to make a "house" in the woods, other times it was a marker to color my Barbie's hair with. Ever since then I have never been able to stop my hands, my mind, my eyes from thinking, feeling and acting as an artist.
I graduated with a BFA from VCU in 2005. I majored in crafts with an emphasis in textiles. While fiber will always seduce me, I use different mediums depending on the project. At the present time I am back in my studio getting focused, and letting myself be vulnerable enough to make raw, un-edited work. Textiles is traditional "women's work" and I am doing everything in my power to make it "a contemporary women's point of view".